By Jueseppi B.
Now comes a bill by TeaTardedRepubliCANT Sen. Roy Blunt, of the great State of Missouri, even more stupid than the man himself. I wonder when or if the GOPretenders will ever get to that Jobs Bill that POTUS Obama sent to the Houses of Congress, back so many months ago? I understand the RepubliCANTS are busy right now trying to keep their hands up the uterus of Americans Women, but don’t you think it’s time our elected politicians on the Reich side of the aisle get back to why they were elected?
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and his new amendment to the Affordable Care Act which would allow any employer or insurance company to “exclude any health service, no matter how essential, from coverage if they morally object to it.”
A simple overview of the Blunt Drama/Trauma bill:
Under the measure, an insurer or an employer would be able to claim a moral or religious objection to covering HIV/AIDS screenings, Type 2 Diabetes treatments, cancer tests or anything else they deem inappropriate or the result of an “unhealthy” or “immoral” lifestyle. Similarly, a health plan could refuse to cover mental health care on the grounds that the plan believes that psychiatric problems should be treated with prayer.
Individuals can also opt out of any of that coverage they find morally objectionable. The National Women’s Law Center explains how dangerously limited this could be to everyone’s health insurance: “Blunt’s language is vague enough that ‘insurers may be able to sell plans that do not cover services required by the new health care law to an entire market because one individual objects, so all consumers in a market lose their right to coverage of the full range of critical health services.’”
Apparently Blunt figures he can’t be called out for specifically for trying to limit women’s health care options if he attacks everybody. So if you’re one of those people who lost at genetic Russian Roulette and end up susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, or if you’re on of the 10 to 15 percent of lung cancer victims who isn’t a smoker, or are among the 50 percent of victims who is a former smoker, you’re shit out of luck. Sexually active? You won’t even be able to be screened for HIV/AIDS (really smart disease control, there).
Is this insane and extreme? Of course. Would it be a public health disaster? Absolutely. Do TeaTardedRepubliCANTS care? Absolutely not.
Senate Democrats have raised concerns that the “religious freedom” argument is actually part of a broader attempt by social conservatives to restrict access to birth control.
“Mr. President, if this amendment passes, it would ban contraception coverage for any woman in America whose boss has a personal objection to it,” Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said on the Senate Floor Wednesday. “This measure would force women to surrender control of their own health decisions to their bosses. That concept, it is not merely quaint or old-fashioned. It is dangerous and it is wrong.”
A 2001 court case against Walmart provides a practical example of the potential consequences millions of people would face if the government allows employers to pick and choose which preventative health services they cover. Lisa Smith Mauldin, a 22-year-old customer services manager and divorced mother of two earning $12 per hour, sued Wal-Mart for sexual discrimination because it excluded contraceptives from its prescription drug plan. She said the $30 per month cost of birth control pills was a significant financial burden for her.
In September 2002, the case turned into a class action suit on behalf of all female employees at Walmart, who demanded that the company’s health plan cover prescription contraceptives. The case was dismissed in December 2006, when Walmart decided to begin covering their employees’ birth control.
Walmart is not the only major company that has run into legal troubles for excluding contraception coverage from its health plan. Dow Jones & Co., Bartell Drug Co., United Parcel Services (UPS) and Daimler Chrysler have all been sued in similar cases.
These major companies are now required under Title XII to cover contraception for their employees to the same extent that they cover the costs of other types of drugs. But if the Blunt amendment passes, they will be able to ignore the cost-sharing requirement of the Affordable Care Act that asks them to cover birth control at no cost for their employees, leaving women with a burdensome co-pay. They will also be able to freely deny their employees other kinds of health coverage by citing a moral objection.
WE CAN NOT ALLOW THIS BILL TO BECOME A LAW.
18.6% of Americans struggle DAILY to afford food. Yet, instead of passing legislation on the floor of both Houses of Congress, THAT WILL PROVIDE JOBS, AND LOWER UNEMPLOYMENT, our stupid elected officials are arguing over women’s contraceptive coverage within private insurance companies. The average Wall Street bonus last year was $186,000.00. Thats A BONUS OF ONE HUNDRED & EIGHTY SIX THOUSAND DOLLARS……A BONUS, NOT A SALARY!!
Solution….Fight back, and here’s how. Join the United Against The War On Women Movement.
Join this movement, join the national organization and from there join the local movement for your state. This is the only way to show these TeaTardedRepubliCANTS who “We The People” are.
Related articles
- Congress: the Republican led House – the Senate considers S.1813,Surface Transportation bill &Sen.RoyBlunt’s war on Women- Amendment#1520 continues on 3/1/2012 (ynative77.wordpress.com)
- Olympia Snowe Opposes GOP’s Anti-Contraception Blunt Amendment (thinkprogress.org)
- Don’t threaten women’s health care (cnn.com)
- Lady Republican senators not on board with Blunt Amendment to block birth control coverage (dailykos.com)
Filed under: Causes, Health, News, Politics, Religion, Women's Causes Tagged: | Affordable Care Act, Blunt, Chuck Schumer, Insurance, Republican, Roy Blunt, United Parcel Service, Walmart
Jueseppi B.
[...] The War On Women Part III: “Blunt” Force Drama/Trauma (theobamacrat.com) [...]
I have been surprised at the length to which women’s rights and issues are being dragged into this legislative madness, and it has been particularly enlightening to read your many blogs covering these issues! Please keep up writing about this topic!
Ms. tangentialromantic,
I am equally pissed at the entire male dominated political process when it drags women’s rights, including women’s health issues into a plot to keep the first Black American President from winning re-election, based on his skin color. Every reproductive issue currently on the topic table was resolved during the Nixon Administration. I am honored a member of the U. S. Military is following me. Enjoy your Sunday.
Until women start taking public office at every level, this sort of stuff is going to happen.
The federal level is important, but it’s important to build the “farm team”. Run for town council, county commission, statehouse representative … run for water board member or dog catcher, but run! Get into the game, and eventually you will make Congress representative. It can happen but *you* have to make it happen!
Voting is the only way to access real change. That is why the TeaTardedRepubliCANTS are attacking the rights of voters who are not with their agenda.If you don’t vote, and run viable, intelligent, hard working candidates who are for the people, no matter what their gender, all is lost for America.
I went to your blog site, but didn’t see a follow or join button.
This is such a power and money game, what a crying shame that this is really what it all boils down too. The Wicked Right Wing Party has more than lost their way, they have lost any morals, ounce of decency, common sense and respect for their own mothers, daughters, sisters or wives. These power hungry money driven all men only, self-serving pack of rats are headed for the biggest highway catastrophe they’ve ever seen. They have ignited and erupted a volcano that will forever change the course of Time. They have united Women, Men and Children all across the world, who will once and for all guarantee that the female species will never ever again be put in this less than second class citizen’s position again. We should never-ever have to revisit Our Rights to be equal to anyone on this earth again. We will not stop until every possible law of our Constitution that even looks like it says “man” is amended and cemented to clearly specify both genders in black and white. We have trusted too long that the phrase “all men are created equal” included “Women”. Well now we will not be step on or pushed back, we will not be pacified or silenced, we will not settle for less-than and we will demand our place at the table along beside and equal to “all man/men” and it shall be clearly stated “all men and women”! We will not stop and we will not wait! We will end this War on Women Now not later but Now! We will move mountains and we will shake this Wicked Right Wing Agenda to its core. We will turn your world upside down until our Rights are clearly cemented forever more. Why…because our life and the future lives of this world depends on it! Mr. Wicked Right Wingers you are here by notified: This is War; your Agenda has become a threat to the existence of all Man/Woman-kind!
Mr. Baker your strong support and respect for Women
s Rights is unyielding and we appreciate and thank you for uniting, standing and fighting along side of us. Keep doing U always!
Wow….you’ve been gone being busy with life and your cause, but when you do comment, you do so from your heart! Thank you Ms. Shelley, and it’s good to have you back.
I am so happy I was able to complete the read..I started at 2am after packing and woke up in the am and found that i had slept on this page all night. I was able to re-read it to refresh my brain and then it hit me and the response just blurted out one the screen almost without me….I was again instantly furious and almost like I was talking in my sleep and the keyboard was typing as I spoke….Upon just now reading my response over….I am glad it speaks from my heart and soul…so I guess I was awake but glazed over in fury along with fatigue. Tks again, your writing Mr Hack, seems to find a way to strike my deepest most passionate areas. A rarity.
Hello Ms. Shelley,
Glad you are back with us. I have a knack for bring out the passion in folks when they respond to me…you just happen to be a positive passionate response. Most passionate responses are negative.
thank you Jueseppi for all you to do try to help those being taken advantage of, mistreated, etc. You are a light shining. I wonder how those senators would feel if their viagra were no longer covered, or testosterone? This is the most ridiculous bill I have ever seen. We are fighting a war on poverty and they want to make it even harder for those that are poorer?
We will win, all that is needed is UNITY.
I appreciate your kind words DanLrene…together the bloggersphere can defeat stupid. “Yes we Can”.
We Gots Lots of Work to Do.
that is for sure.